COPA AMERICA FINAL: ARGENTINA v CHILE

THE BEEB missed a trick when they splashed out a fortune to screen every match in the women’s World Cup.

They should have saved some cash for Copa America which has been thrill a minute. In the week they announced job cuts of 1000 due to a shortfall in licence revenue they could have clawed some of it back by showing live footie from South America.

Admittedly, the women’s World Cup has had its moment but it would be unfair to compare the product to a South American
tournament featuring the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Arturo Vidal and, ahem, Eduardo Vargas.

Vargas, who flopped with QPR last season, has emerged as one of the stars and helped hosts Chile battle into tonight’s final with a haul of four goals making him top scorer. He netted a double against Peru in the semis and will line up against Argentina in Santiago.

I tipped a Chile-Argentina final before the tournament started so the match-up is no surprise – and picking a winner isn’t easy. Chile have been consistently good throughout while Argentina only came to life with a stunning 6-1 win against Paraguay in the semi-finals.

While Vargas has outshone his celebrated team-mates the Argentina ace in the pack has been Angel di Maria who looks fresh after doing little in his first season at Man Utd. Argentina are 23-20 with BetVictor to win in 90 minutes and will do so if they repeat their last-four heroics.

Chile are 14-5 at bet365 while the draw pays 5-2 with the same firm. With so many star strikers on show best bet could be both to score at 10-11 with William Hill and Coral and I put that up earlier as my Super Single.

Like Vargas it was di Maria who bagged two against Paraguay and he is 9-1 at Ladbrokes to score first and 18-5 at 888sport to net.

Messi is favourite at 4-1 with Ladbrokes and Man City’s Aguero is 4-1. Vargas is 9-1 at bet365 and 4-1 with bwin to net at any time.

A feature of the tournament has been cards with plenty of yellows and reds. In a final that’s expected to be fiery a red card is 6-4 (Skybet).